What makes the difference between those who flourish in a sales career, and those who struggle?  It is probably going to be one of the points you will find below.  Read this and let me know what you think. Why can’t Johnny sell?  Let me count the ways….

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We all know great looking sales people or sales position candidates like Johnny, who have the appearance of premier sales professionals.  You can line them up and it would look like a privileged and capable sales force ready to distribute any ready product in any sales territory.

The truth is that Johnny and many of these candidates will fail.  Failure should not be a bad word in sales; it should be known as the occupational filter that it is.

A great education, a solid appearance, a good product, and skills training are all things that should help, but there are some important things that play heavily on someone’s ability to sell effectively.

Not For the Faint of Heart

Sales can be lucrative as a profession, but when you are without a couple of these skills or attributes, you are going to be at a disadvantage.

Johnny will continue to struggle or even fail if he:

• Does not want to be in sales, and is unwilling to adapt
• Doesn’t communicate effectively
• Cannot form meaningful relationships
• Avoids success by avoiding the most uncomfortable aspects of the sales job
• Repeats the same unproductive activities over and over again
• Frankly does not want to put in the work
• Cannot deal with measurement and competition
• Does not have a winning attitude

Does not want to be in sales - If you do not what to be in sales, and are unwilling to adapt to it, you are in the wrong place, and won’t be there for long. If you just need a job, find something else to do.   As a sales manager, one of my interview questions was, “If we choose another candidate for this position is there a job in this organization that you would elect to do if that position is available?”  If the answer was yes, that individual wanted a job, not a sales position.  They lose in the job search!

Doesn’t communicate effectively – This one is not just the spoken word, but the presentation particulars as well.  Communications skills, including listening are ultra important.  For those of you who do it well, you probably take it for granted, but for many other sales professionals communication skills are not top notched. Johnny cannot show well against those who perform on a high level.

Cannot form meaningful relationships – You have heard me say it before, “Relationships are everything” when it comes to most professional sales.  You might refer to Black Sales Journal 1/13/2011- Deepening Your Customer Relationships for more information on this important topic.  Relationships give you preference, and preference in a business relationship is where you want to be.  You don’t ‘work’ the relationship angle, you live it.  If you develop enduring relationships you will benefit for years.  Relationship skills make all of the difference in the world, and are a major reason why some reps cannot sell.  In a sales environment that requires implicit trust such as a large ticket sale situation, you must be able to develop relationships that give preference.  This kind of preference is important, as it ‘trumps’ racial preference as the buyer knows and trusts you.  But there are people that have a tough time with relationships, and have not mastered the process of developing relationship basics.

Avoids success by avoiding the most uncomfortable tasks – You will not be successful if you avoid the tough stuff.  Prospecting is a good example.  Avoid prospecting on Tuesday, and something might come up on Wednesday, then you have a sales meeting on Thursday.  You have successfully avoiding sourcing prospects for 3/5ths of the week.  This activity is something that you would want to do almost every day.  Avoidance happens, but not for long, as you will begin new job hunt activities if you continue to avoid important tasks.

Repeats the same unproductive activities over and over again- Whether it is the habitual coffee break, long lunch, or even Friday afternoons off, unproductive activities have a way of repeating themselves.  The consummate professional has an ability to stop this madness and focus on productive activities.  Many sales professionals review the weekend with colleagues on Monday morning.  What can be more unproductive than a review of everyone’s child’s soccer games when money and a job hang in the balance?

Frankly does not want to put in the work – There are those reps, which appear lazy, but in truth it normally is something less vexing such as the point above.  This individual  ”avoids” success by avoiding the most uncomfortable tasks.  Laziness does find its way into many sales reps lives, and usually they get away with it for a while because of the requirement that they work without close supervision.  If you don’t want to put in the work, get out of the way and let someone else have a chance.

Cannot deal with measurement and competition – There are many individuals that quickly find that they are in the most measurable job that exist.  Being constantly measured and in competition with their peers gets to them and distracts them from cold calling and building relationships.  It does not seem as impactful as some of the others above, but it makes a difference.  You can be a ‘social worker’ in many different occupations, including management, but you cannot afford to feed the hungry and take in the needy in sales, as you are going to be measured objectively for the most part.  Lack of mental toughness in the face of the competition is the reason many falter.

Does not have a winning attitude – I saved this one for last as it speaks to why many sales professionals don’t make it.  You have to have perseverance and a belief that you will prevail.  A positive outlook is the most important ‘attitude’ that you can carry with you on a call, and in the office.  I know that this sounds light, but armed with a positive and winning attitude you can do so much.  I know a Black sales professional who I mentor (I will call her JP) who keeps a positive outlook through difficult situations.  The employer sees it, the customer recognizes it, and her family feels it.  The sales professional wins in the end.

Is There A Magic Pill for Johnny?

If you have some of the problems above you can still find success.  If you have all of them, you might want to consider another occupation. If Johnny should not be in sales, it is understandable.  Many of us cannot be successful engineers.  Review this post, BSJ 2/23/2012– The Smartest Person in the Room, to understand why.

This list is not exhaustive, but contains the major reasons. Black sales professionals can conquer so many business and societal ills on the basis that they are strong and adaptable.

Put these points to use and make the difference. Your comments are welcome.  Please reach me at Michael.Parker@BlackSalesJournal.com.

Sales professionals know that after the tortuous process of winning customers, account-by-account, it would be literally sinful to have your competitors wrest them from you.  There is truth to that, yet with it comes the fact that the only way that you can keep it from happening is to have a product that no one else offers.  Very few of you are fortunate enough to be able to say that.

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As difficult as the process of retaining customers can be, it is a luxury that others would be envious of.  The objective is to have that process be filled with relationship building, as well as experience sharing, coupled with unmatched service.  As far as your competitors, it will make the act of robbing you of your income and your customer so much more difficult.

Most Black sales professionals are working so hard to achieve general acceptance and get past the issues that constitute preference and perception that they are glad for the victory when they reach that goal.  Strengthening the relationship in the following ways could be the difference between being a good sales professional and being a ‘star’ sales performer.

Building that Wall Block by Block

Building that wall is a process.  Whether you are in B2B or B2P, the process is very similar.  Here are some of the main attributes:

• Make the buying experience memorable
• Master the Relationship
• Give unparalleled service
• Expose them to vertical relationships
• Treat them to horizontal relationships
• Give Recognition – Nominate them for Acclaim
• Communicate
• Call in Favors

Don’t think for a moment that relationship building is easy.  It is however the forte’ of the best sales professionals.  Why not you?

Make The Buying Experience Memorable – You cannot just win, you have to look good in doing so.  Gaining the account in the face of strong competition is great.  Winning because you are what the customer needs creates a value that others might not have.  If all else is equal, and you win because the customer perceives that his organization is better off because you are the expert that they need (BSJ – 12/20 Your Customer Needs an Expert) you can now begin the process of securing other sides to the structure you are building.  Being the Consummate Professional (BSJ – 3/7 Be the Consummate Professional) throughout the buying process is just as important.  Buyers may buy for a number of reasons, yet the composite is that they got a great value.  Part of that value is you.

Master the Relationship – You will need to excel in the relationship.  As stated in BSJ January 13th and January 20th, Deepening Your Customer Relationship 1&2, your job is to be the expert on this customer.  Establish a customer profile, and work it.  Know the buyer’s family, and his or her most important preferences.  Achieve the level of a  “business friend”, and “business consultant”, during the workday and a social acquaintance during off hours.  This constructs walls that generate a preference all their own.

Give Unparalleled Service – We have talked about giving unparalleled service before in BSJ (Black Sales Journal 1/13 – Deepening Your Customer Relationships).  It will separate you from the other sales professionals.  Remember, this is about being responsive.  Solid follow-up is at the heart of this one.  Do what you say you are going to do; by when you say you are going to do it.

Expose them to Vertical Relationships – You may shutter at this one because you shield your accounts from management, yet it works in a way that cannot be duplicated.  Your confidence as the quarterback will allow you to introduce them to your organizations upper, and in some cases top management.  They will not only feel important, they will feel privileged.  Arrange for them to meet the highest level you can muster.  Lunch or Dinner (if appropriate) could serve as solid forums to give them the feel they need for the organization.  Even a meeting in the office works.   The more important people you clients “know” the better off you are at their time of need.

Expose them to Horizontal and External Relationships – The horizontal relationships can be enriching as well.  Your service team, your sales assistant, and anyone else who helps you make it happen.  I also include in this your ability to include introductions to key accounts that have a like interest in business pursuits including suppliers, Chamber sand other membership groups, etc.  Be the resource that no one else can be for them.  Break the ice for them in relationships with other “like thinking” customers of yours that could benefit them, and build your wall.  They could increase their profits because of you.

Give them Recognition – Sometimes, recognition can go a long way.  An honor bestowed in the form of a luncheon for a customer’s management staff, and a $40.00 plaque can go a long way toward locking them in.  Sincerity in this award is important; yet even more important is doing it correctly.  Be there in person and give some amount of notoriety.  If covered correctly by their newsletter, you might be surprised how far it will go.  In your customer’s mundane world of supplying nuts and bolts, to be recognized as an innovator in warehousing, logistics, safety, and other notable areas is a proud moment.

Communicate, Communicate, And Communicate – You are never at a risk of over communicating.  Communicate early and often, monitoring your communications by summarizing and reducing it to writing.  Give bad news as early as you have it confirmed, and give your good information with the same pattern.  You will be rewarded with credibility, credibility, and more credibility.

Call In Favors – If there was ever some one to do if for, your best customers are it.  Call in favors for your best customers when necessary.  This means you need make sure that when you need it, you have the “capital” in your operation to get something done for your best customers whether it is exceptions or pricing influence.

The Best Value

If you do all of these things, it will represent the best value imaginable for your customer.  The customer will have an engaged, resourceful sales professional.  You will have a client who will always be a  “hard target” for any other sales professional to pick off.  You will need to be competitive, but not always low in price.  You will need a good product, yet not necessarily the industry leader.

The best is that so much of this focuses on you, the sales professional.  Over time, this is almost all about you.

Thanks for reading Black Sales Journal.  We welcome your comments. Reach me at Michael.Parker@BlackSalesJournal.com.